The purpose of this book is to present the architecture styles of tribal communities in India. Although modern architects do not include the house types and settlement planning of the tribal people in architecture, as tribal communities and their planning is simple. But millions of tribal families live in houses planned and constructed by them, hence it is important to present the different forms of houses and the layout of their settlements to learn more about the primitive architecture. The present approach includes from the anthropological to architectural and artistic stylistic form of houses. The house types have been chosen simply because their living styles articulate certain points of view and present the philosophy of their community. Each house design and layout of settlements in different tribes is something stimulating and controversial in own right. I hope the usefulness of all house designs will be of interest to anthropologists, architects and archaeologists.
The most expensive and most important item in human life is 'house' where persons live, create and develop a family. The house is built for security of oneself, family and basic materials needed for the members of family. One has to protect all members of family from cold, rains and summer. The tribal communities residing in forest have to protect themselves from the wild animals. For this purpose a house is the basic need. While studying the art and aesthetics of tribal communities of Gujarat, I observed tribal settlements and houses in South Gujarat and I was astonished to see the artistic planning of settlements and design of architecture of the simple houses. The planning of settlements, design of houses, the cleanliness and plantation around settlements were of great attraction. It was again matter of the interest that the tribal people planned and constructed houses themselves. The plans of settlements and houses are of the practical purpose.
This inspired me to plan a study of tribal architecture in India. As there are Varieties of tribes in the country who have different type of architectural designs, it was necessary to compare the house designs, method of construction, and plans of settlements. Most of the tribes prefer to plan their settlements on mounds, plateaus and hill slopes on which there is natural beauty of the tree-clad hills. The shimmering waters in the streams surround the small and scattered hamlets of the tribal communities. Small hamlets give no sense of overcrowding, filth or slums.
Each hamlet has a structural completeness and functional efficiency. There is proportion, colour and harmony in the entire surroundings. Tribal communities use locally available materials as the physical basis of their homes. The indigenous knowledge and skill is used for planning. The experienced tribal leaders guide the plan and implemented by local technicians. Though tribal communities live in harmony but quarrels and attacks are part of life. While planning settlements leaders think about security, water sources and food as well as contacts with other settlements. All these practical points are amalgamated in sacred rituals.
The architecture of tribal houses (Generally these have been referred as huts) is worth taking cognizance by anthropologists, architects and archaeologists. The Oxford Dictionary has given the meaning of 'hut' as- small simple, or crude house or shelter, and 'house' means, building for human habitation, building for special purpose or for keeping animals or goods, buildings for religious community, royal family, dynasty, assembly and theater etc. As tribal houses are for human habitation where families reside, so I have used the word 'house' for tribal buildings, in place of hut. This is true that in constructing tribal houses, in place of cement, concrete and iron, the mud, bamboo, wood and grass is used, but these self planned and constructed houses are comfortable and away from any urban problems. The house designs, material for construction and techniques of construction have been developed by tribal communities in last thousands years. The interior arrangement and outer decoration depicts the mastery of technique of tribal people.
Architecture is believed to be related with only great houses or buildings, which are constructed with cement, stone, and lime, bricks etc. Tribal houses built with mud and wood are not treated as buildings of any worth. The more durable material is believed to construct a building, which can be called architecture. Julius F. Gluck says that 'the concept of architecture in art-historical thinking remains limited in general to stone, brick, timber-built and larger wooden buildings (with hewn planks), and thus to the more durable materials and to forms which require a considerable capacity for controlling and shaping the materials used' (1966: 224). Yet one forgets that simple huts of less durable materials are also forms of architecture which each culture has used at one time or another and without which all later development remains unintelligible.
A house is social unit that shares domestic activities such as food production, cooking, eating, and sleeping. Often under one roof, and usually based on nuclear or extended family. Household groups in a habitat might periodically combine to socialize over manioc beer and to sing and dance. They might also combine to form raiding parties. They spend most of the year at a permanent residence, and form a village. In comparison to mobile tribes, life in houses has potential to change relationship between people and place. Mobile foragers are likely to be socially more open and less territorial than Sedentary villagers, where privacy of houses creates a potentially closed society where witchcraft and suspicion can thrive and social hierarchy can arise. The house itself can be treated metaphorically in the cosmology as the foundation for ancestor cults, tombs, and hierarchical descent groups.
The house is part of a 'fala' or a village. Fala is small part or a sector of a village, which spreads in large area. Socially speaking this small sector is a familial group of houses, but for social and political activities village is treated as a unit. In fala mostly families of one clan live and in village there can be families of more than one clan.
Generally six to 10-12 families live at one place and keep contact with other part of the village. They have developed a method of communication through which a whole tribe can be conveyed an important message whenever required.
In Rengma Nagas every village is divided into 'khels' of which the boundaries on the ground are exactly known. The boundaries are not marked in any way, but it is known in what 'khel any given house stands. Often the 'khels' are named after clans, or after natural objects. A small village would have two or three 'khels' and a larger village may have up to ten 'Khels. Very probably at one time it was the rule for a 'khel' to be occupied exclusively by members of one clan. This is not now, but one clan pre dominates in a sector.
Among Indian tribes, house is most important item for family. Young men and women observe their seniors building the house. They live in the village and also keep the plan of the habitat in their memory. A tribal habitat is generally small having ten to fifteen houses. Tribal communities live in forests and hilly tracks. They use the land around their habitats for agriculture and collection of forest products.
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